


you're such a heavenly view

by orphan_account



Category: NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, and ten is just oblivious to it all!, liu yangyang vape god, lucas wong hype beast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-08 06:14:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18888820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Lucas scoffs. “The last thing I want to do is tell my best friend I was like, in love with him like, two weeks before his wedding.”Yangyang finally shuts his laptop and gives his full attention to Lucas. “Well, you’re telling the other groom’s cousin all about being in love with him in the neighborhood Starbucks, so, go big or go home, I guess.”





	you're such a heavenly view

**Author's Note:**

> this work is like if you put a bunch of names in hat and drew two out and then had to write something
> 
> shfhshfhsihishjdh this is messy lmao
> 
> edit: BYEEEEEE i just realized this is like the first fic in this tag omg can we get a rip in the chat

Oh God, Lucas thinks. Oh God, Ten is standing in his living room absolutely chatting it up with his friends, dressed like he’s trying to “find himself”, and Lucas is hid behind a wall of his own house, fruit punch splashed across the front of the shirt his mom had ironed that morning.

 

“Why are you hiding?” Mark whispers in his ear, and Lucas yelps, jumping at least a foot in the air.

 

Lucas regains his composure and splutters out, “Ten.. is here?”

 

Mark peers around the wall and shrugs. “Yes?”

 

“You invited him?”

 

Mark looks Lucas up and down. He probably thinks his best friend was completely losing it right now. Which actually wasn’t too far from the truth.

 

“Lucas, he’s like my brother. Of course I invited him.”

 

Lucas sighs and presses his sticky body closer to the wall. Out of sight, out of mind. “It’s _our_ graduation party though. You should have told me.”

 

Mark rolls his eyes. Lucas wants to kick him in the balls. “If you hadn’t made out with him last summer this wouldn’t even be a problem.”

 

Lucas finally recovers and has the decency to look offended. “ _He_ made out with _me_.”

 

“It’s a two player game, Cas,” Jeno mutters as he walks past, hand carrying a plate of food. Lucas snatched it from his hand. “Hey! Give it back you big, fucking bully.”

 

Lucas sticks his tongue out and shoves a meatball in his mouth. “My house, my food,” except it came out sounding like “my huth, my foogg”.

 

Jeno narrows his eyes and walks out silently.

 

Mark points to the gross shirt still clinging to Lucas. “Dude, go change.”

 

“I _can’t,_ ” He whines pathetically. “Then I’ll have to walk past Ten.”

 

Mark steps closer, voice serious. “Listen, dude, I didn’t wanna have to tell you this, but-”

 

“Xuxi!”

 

Fuck. Shit. Damn. Fuck. Fuck. _Fuck_.

 

Lucas spins around, arms attempting to cover his stained shirt. “What’s up Ten?”

 

Ten beams, cute face scrunched up in delight. “Aw, we’re all so old now! You graduated high school yesterday, and next week I graduate from college. Crazy, huh?”

 

Lucas wants to talk, really wants at least one word to come out, but all he can manage is composed gurgling.

 

Ten must have taken that as agreement because he smiles casually, not at all like he’s ruining Lucas’s life. “Cas, you’re such a cutie pie. I really can’t believe you’re all grown up now.”

 

Lucas looks to Mark for help. He’s busy counting floorboards in the kitchen.

 

Lucas manages a grin. “Yup. All grown up now.”

 

Ten ruffles his hair and notices the red patch on his shirt. “Oh, geez. Who stabbed you?”

 

“Ha ha,” Lucas drawls. “It’s juice.”

 

“Well, go get changed! I can see your abs through your shirt. Totally not appropriate.”

 

Lucas wants to drown. “Listen, Ten-” His eyes catches on something sparkling. He grabs Ten’s hands. “Woah, is this a chastity ring or something? Where’s the belt?” He jokes, but there’s something uncomfortable sinking in his stomach.

 

Ten pulls his hand to chest before leaning around the corner and yelling, “Babe, come here for a sec!”

 

A man in a hoodie and jeans walks into the kitchen and Lucas wants step on his foot. They look really stompable.

 

Ten places an arm around the man’s waist and tugs him closer. “Lucas, this is my husband, Kun. Kun, this is Lucas. He’s like a little brother to me.”

 

Never mind. Lucas just wants to stomp himself.

  
  
  
  


 

It is after everyone leaves that Lucas gathers the energy to corndog Mark.

 

“Ow!” He turns around from the garbage can he’s emptying, clutching his butt in shock. “Thought you gave that shit up in middle school.”

 

Lucas snatches the full garbage bag. “I thought you gave up keeping secrets.”

 

Realization falls on Mark’s face. “He eloped, Cas. None of us knew until yesterday. I was going to tell you but there wasn’t a good time.”

 

Lucas pouts. “I felt sick. Kun isn’t even as cute as me. I’m cute as fuck!”

 

Mark resumes cleaning duties. “They’ve been together for awhile, actually. They just took a break last summer.”

 

Lucas gasps in horror. “I was his _rebound_?”

 

Mark shrugs. “Kinda. Sorta.” He thinks for a moment. “Probably.”

 

Well, _ouch._ “What’s Kun’s deal anyway? He looks like he has an enema up his ass.”

 

Mark punches him lightly. “Can you stop being heartbroken long enough to be nice? One of our best friends is married. Don’t be a dick.”

 

Lucas slouches against the kitchen table. He doesn’t _want_ to be an asshole, but this whole marriage thing has shaken him up a lot more than he expected. He doesn’t really want to examine all of the reasons why.

 

He sighs. “It’s cool, I guess.”

 

Mark smiles gently. “You’re a good dude, Cas.”

 

 _Yeah,_ Lucas thinks. _I know._

  
  
  


 

It turns out that Lucas is a bitter, steaming piece of shit masquerading as a good guy because he can hardly get through Ten’s graduation dinner without kicking his husband under the table. Oops?

 

“Ouch,” Kun says. He laughs softly. “Guess this table is a little small.”

 

“Guess this table is a little small,” Lucas mimics under his breath.

 

It’s Mark that kicks him. He leans over and warns, “Knock it off.”

 

He’s just about to plaster his “I’m so happy that you’re married and graduated, and no, I’m not all broken up at the fact that you broke my heart, haha” face on, when Ten feeds Kun a slice of cake.

 

“Yeah, I can’t do this,” Lucas rushes out before bolting to the parking lot.

 

He sits on the curb outside of the restaurant, and starts counting the different car companies. Wow, there’s a variety today. At least six.

 

He feels a body brush up against his. “Hey,” Ten says. He looks really smart today, glasses on, hair gelled, suit ironed perfectly. “Is everything okay?”

 

Hell no. Lucas shrugs.

 

Ten sighs and takes his glasses off. “Cas, you’re really like family to me. If something is up, please tell me. I don’t want anything to be weird.”

 

“I just-“ He is about to tell him the truth, can feel the words blistering on his tongue, but then he sees the wedding band and feels sick all over again. “Nothing. Just scared for college, I guess.”

 

Ten coos and brings an arm around his shoulders. “You big baby. College is fine. I mean, I managed to graduate.”

 

Lucas nods. “Yup. And elope.”

 

Ten smiles at the reminder of Kun. “You know, we’re having a ceremony in a few weeks. Like a proper one at my parents’ house. I was wondering if you could help?”

 

You see, the logical thing for Lucas to do is to refuse. But Ten looks really hopeful, and Lucas has known him since forever, and Mark would kill him if he said no. So he says, “Didn’t even have to ask.”

 

Ten brings him closer. “Ugh, I love you little dude.”

 

Lucas fights the sick feeling back. “Ha. Love you too.”

  
  
  
  


“So you’re a massive fucking idiot?” Renjun says when Lucas recounts the story after their morning run.

 

He dumps half of his water bottle on his head. “Yeah,” He admits, breathless.

 

Renjun glares at him. “No wonder he’s always taking advantage of you. You’re like a doormat.”

 

“Renjun,” Lucas whines. “I get it, I’m stupid and petty and don’t have a backbone. Can I have some advice now?”

 

“Tell him the _truth_. He’s an asshole for doing that to you. You need to resolve it. Seriously, like, that’s really fucked up.”

 

That wasn’t what Lucas wanted to hear. Great. “What are my other options?”

 

Renjun splashes water in Lucas’s face. “Swim in your bitterness.”

 

“Any chance of an option C?” Lucas calls out after him. Renjun flips him off.

  
  
  
  


Lucas should have taken Renjun’s advice. Jesus fucking Christ, he should have taken it. Because sitting cross-legged on the floor of Ten’s living room while he and his husband tell their group of friends their plans for the ceremony is like pulling teeth.

 

The only person Lucas knows here besides Ten, is Mark, and the latter is too busy chatting on his Discord thread to be of much entertainment to Lucas.

 

The boy next to Lucas yawns. He’s tall and seems to be trying hard not to fall asleep. .

 

Lucas pokes him. “I’m Lucas.”

 

The boy blinks. “What’s up? I’m Yangyang.”

 

Yangyang has headphones around his neck and is wearing like, the coolest pair of shoes. “Dude, those are some nice kicks.”

 

He smiles and looks down at his feet. “You like them? They’re the NASAs.”

 

Lucas shakes his head in disbelief. “I have no idea what that means. I’m like, only multilingual on a good day.”

 

Yangyang seems to think that’s funny, because he laughs hard, slapping Lucas’s leg.

 

Kun clears his throat. “Yangyang, can you lower your voice please?”

 

Yangyang rolls his eyes. Lucas decides he likes him.

 

He leans over, “Well, _I_ like your voice. Crank that shit up.”

 

Yangyang laughs again, but he contains it to little shakes of his shoulders. “I’m Kun’s cousin. I was forced here.”

 

“I’m one of Ten’s friends. I chose to be here but I might back out after today.”

 

Yangyang scoffs, offended. “And leave me by myself?” He gestures towards Kun. “With Chinese Steve Urkel?”

 

Lucas forces a laugh down. “I guess I’ll stay then.”

 

Yangyang puts his fist out. “Love to hear it.”

 

Lucas meets the fist with his own. “Dope.”

  
  
  


 

“You and Kun’s cousin seemed close,” Ten says later when the meeting is finally finished. He wiggles his eyebrows.

 

The last thing Lucas wants is Ten setting him up with someone, let alone someone he was just becoming friends with. Yangyang was too cool for that.

 

“It’s not like that,” Lucas manages to say. “Your meeting was just boring as fuck.”

 

“You weren’t even listening. How would you know?”

 

Lucas shrugs. “I caught the general gist. There’s gonna be flowers and food and like, a bird, and then you guys say your vows. Bam.”

 

Ten has the audacity to look hurt. “Cas, I thought you’d take this seriously.”

 

Lucas feels bad. He should just tell Ten that this was a little too much for him, that the news was still fresh, that he can’t just recover that quickly. But he really wants to make this work. He really wants to be a good friend.

 

“I’m sorry,” He mumbles. “I’m trying.”

 

“Well it doesn’t seem like it. If you didn’t want to help you should’ve said no. I don’t want you ruining my wedding.”

 

That manages to cut Lucas deeper than anything else. He really _was_ trying _._ “Obviously I don’t want to ruin your wedding. Why the hell would you even say something like that?”

 

Ten throws his hands up in exasperation. “I don’t know? Maybe because you screwed around during the entire meeting? God, Xuxi. Grow up.”

 

Lucas looks away, tries to focus on the little tear in the couch. When he feels the tears recede, he looks up. “I’m really sorry, okay? Really. I know this means a lot to you.”

 

Ten breathes out and some anger falls away from his features. “It’s fine. Just take it seriously.”

 

“I will. I promise.”

 

*

 

Lucas has been in love with Ten since he was eleven. Ten was cool and his face was pretty and he let Lucas have the last Gushers all the time.

 

Lucas wasn’t out until the middle of high school after some coaxing from Jeno, Mark, Renjun, and especially Ten.

 

He held a crying Lucas on his bedroom floor and whispered, “So many people love you, Xuxi. We’ll always love you. _I’ll_ always love you. Okay?”

 

And Lucas came out the next day and nothing much changed. His parents didn’t care and Mark still treated him like the legitimate hypebeast he’d always been. Lucas didn’t feel bad about his crush anymore. Not when he knew it was okay.

 

There was a bit of an issue, though. Ten was ridiculously unattainable. He was older, smarter, and super pretentious.

 

“You could date anybody,” Renjun had once said to him. “Stop waiting for Ten. He’s decrepit as hell, anyway.”

 

“He’s not a _house,_ Renjun. I’ll wait forever.”

 

He only had to wait until for a few weeks, because Ten came back the summer before his senior year and kissed Lucas. And yeah, Lucas had been waiting for him, but he had kissed other people before. But it didn’t _feel_ like that had.

 

Ten left with an, “Oh shit.” and skeddadled out of Lucas’s room.

 

**_ten_ **

_haha sorry that was a bigggg mistake totally my fault lmao_

_hahaha you’re a good kisser though_

 

Renjun was the only person that the knew the full dramatic story (pre-adolescent pining included!), and had wanted to kill Ten right then and there.

 

But it was fine. It was totally fine. At least he knew he was a good kisser.

 

*

 

“What about this one?” Yangyang plays the old Coldplay song for Lucas.

 

He nods to the beat and scrolls through his own playlist. “ _A Sky Full of Stars_ is always good. How about this?” He turns his screen around.

 

Yangyang waves it away. “All Troye Sivan is immediately approved.”

 

“Dope. Ten loves him,” Lucas lets slip out.

 

Yangyang glances up at him over the top of his laptop. He takes a sip of his refresher. “Pining isn’t a good look on you.”

 

Damn. “That obvious?”

 

“Glaringly.” He clears his throat. “It’s cool. I probably only noticed it because I’m just weirdly observant.”

 

Lucas pokes at the _SUPREME_ sticker on Yangyang’s laptop. “This sucks. I actually hate this.”

 

“ _SUPREME_ or the wedding planning?” Lucas gives him a look. He laughs. “Sorry. Have you talked to him? You probably just need closure.”

 

Lucas scoffs. He sounds like Renjun. “The last thing I want to do is tell my best friend I was like, in love with him like, two weeks before his wedding.”

 

Yangyang finally shuts his laptop and gives his full attention to Lucas. “Well, you’re telling the other groom’s cousin all about being in love with him in the neighborhood Starbucks, so, go big or go home, I guess.”

 

“What if he thinks I’m immature?” Lucas whispers. “What if I took it too seriously?”

 

Yangyang cocks his head to the side. “Took what too seriously?”

 

Lucas freezes. Oops. “Nothing.”

 

Yangyang looks at him for a moment before he snaps his fingers. “Oh my God. The break!”

 

“Are you a mind reader or something?”

 

Yangyang shrugs. “Lucky guess.” He pats Lucas’s shoulder. “Sorry bout that, man. Ten sounds like an asshole, not gonna lie.”

 

Lucas traces a pattern onto the table. “Your eloquence is enviable. Really.”

 

“If you don’t tell him, you guys are going to get into a fight. Which would _actually_ ruin his wedding.”

 

Lucas sighs and tries to change the subject. Talking about his dismal love life was kinda a mood killer. “Where are you headed for university?”

 

“I graduated a year early last week, so I’m headed to Germany for a year.”

 

Lucas balks. “You’re using your senior year as a gap year?”

 

“I mean, you’re able to do that when you’re smart.” There’s no shame in his face when he says it. He knows he’s intelligent.

 

“Dude, you’re so cool.”

 

Yangyang feigns humility. “Eh. Sometimes.” His face changes. “What are you wearing to the wedding?”

 

Lucas fumbles for an answer. Truthfully, he was just going to wear a nice shirt and like, any pair of pants without a stain on them. But considering Yangyang looked like a fashion critic with an insane addiction to vaping, he chose not to say that. “Uh. Clothes.”

 

Yangyang shudders. “You’re just like my cousin.”

 

“Hey!”

 

“I mean it in a loving way,” Yangyang says. “Let’s go to my house and I’ll dress you up. You know, like _The Princess Diaries.”_

 

Lucas follows him out to his car. “My gran isn’t Julie Andrews. Also, I’m not Genovian royalty.”

 

Yangyang tosses his laptop in the backseat. You know, like it didn’t cost hundreds of dollars. “Yeah, but your eyebrows are simply _pitiful.”_

  
  
  


 

Lucas didn’t really know what he was expecting when he saw Yangyang’s closet, but it definitely wasn’t thousands of dollars worth of luxury clothing.

 

“What the hell,” Lucas says as he feels up a Gucci jacket. “Is your family part of the mafia?” He turns around and points to the windows. “Are these bulletproof?”

 

Yangyang rolls his eyes and knocks his hand away from the jacket. “I like investing in stocks and stuff. Sometimes I get lucky.”

 

Lucas lifts a pair of shoes he knows he has no business touching. “You call this luck?”

 

Yangyang snatches the expensive pair of shoes back. “Rule number one: don’t touch unless I say you can. Especially my sneakers.” He leans down to the precious high tops. “I’m so sorry, babies.”

 

“Will this stuff even fit me? I’m kinda big.”

 

Yangyang examines his stature. “My legs are pretty long, so maybe. And if they don’t, I don’t care.” He shoves a pair of dress pants into his arms. “Suck it up.”

 

After a whirlwind of dressing and eyebrow waxing (“My eyebrows aren’t even that bad!” “I can cut your unibrow with a machete. Trust me, it’s _that_ bad.”), the two were sprawled on Yangyang’s bed, a SoundCloud rapper playing on his speakers.

 

“I thought you vaped,” Lucas wonders aloud.

 

“Vaping is so not cool, man. Nicotine can kill you!” Lucas gives him a look. “Mom found them in my room last week and confiscated them. Life is nothing but an emotional prison.”

 

Lucas laughs. “I’ll buy you another.”

 

Yangyang sighs. “To be an adult.”

 

“Who’s rapping right now?”

 

Yangyang closes his eyes and hums. “Me.”

 

Lucas sits up and checks his phone. Sure enough, _yangsquared_ was rapping about smoky nights and Chanel bags with nail polish stains. “Dude, you’re really good.”

 

Yangyang shrugs in the way that Lucas has come to learn means that he already _knows_ he’s good. “Lay back down, you’re messing with my energy, bro.”

 

Lucas resumes his position and gets a good luck at the ceiling. Old sketches of outfits are peeling away from the wall, but Lucas can make out the lines and shapes, the colors that are starting to fade. He doesn’t  even have to ask to know. Yangyang is going to be a designer. There’s no “if” to it.

 

“Heard you’re gonna be a doctor.”

 

“A veterinarian,” Lucas corrects. “I like animals a lot. When we were little, me and Mark and Ten used to volunteer at the animal shelter. They were always happen to see us. I used to go home and get so sad because I couldn’t bring at least one home.” He smiles at the memory of puppies tackling him. “There’s nothing else I’d rather do.”

 

Yangyang cracks an eye open. “Softie.”

 

“You call your shoes babies!”

 

“Because they’re my babies. Duh.” Yangyang reaches for his headphones. “These are my babies too. _‘Cause we are living in a material world, and I am a material girl’.”_ He sings it completely out of tune, voice cracking ridiculously.

 

Lucas slaps a hand over his mouth, effectively shutting him up. “God, just stick to rapping.”

 

Yangyang licks his hand. Lucas removes it, disgusted. “What did I say about touching expensive stuff?” He sighs dramatically. “Plebeians.”

 

Lucas laughs loudly, tears springing in his eyes. “Sorry bout that.”

 

Yangyang closes his eyes again. He’s fighting back a smile. “You should be.”

 

*

 

Mark flops onto the floor of the basketball court a few days later, drenched in sweat. Lucas follows suit, exhausted.

 

“I feel like we haven’t hung out in forever,” Mark breathes out.

 

“Was busy with the wedding stuff,” Lucas lies. Well, it was a _partial_ lie. He _had_ been busy with wedding stuff with Yangyang. But every time they started working, they got way off topic. Yesterday, when they were supposed to be tasting different cakes, they got distracted mid-red velvet tasting and started talking about the Met Gala. Oops.

 

“I’m busy with wedding stuff too,” Mark pushes. “Do you know how hard it is to find an outfit that Ten approves of? He keeps vetoing everything.”

 

“I thought he was wearing a tux?”

 

Mark gives him a look. “You know Ten hates traditional clothing. He said it was too boring.”

 

“You should just switch jobs with Yangyang,” Lucas offers. “He loves fashion.”

 

Mark shakes his head. “Nah. He doesn’t know Ten like I do.” He looks at Lucas carefully. “Speaking of Ten, when was the last time you talked to him?”

 

Lucas plays with the laces of his shoes. “Probably when he accused me of trying to sabotage his wedding.”

 

Mark gasps. “When did _that_ happen? How come you didn’t tell me?”

 

Lucas shrugs. “No need to start drama. Besides, I don’t want to talk to him anyway. He’s pretty hellbent on forgetting last summer.”

 

Mark tries his best sympathetic face. “Lucas-”

 

“I know,” He interrupts. “He’s married and all that. I deserve at least an apology though. Like he was dating someone for like, two years and I didn’t know? And then he came back last summer and totally fucked with my head? Like _come on,_ Mark. I can only take so much.”

“I don’t know what to say, Cas. I-” He stops abruptly. “Did you really like him?”

 

Lucas looks away, tries to focus on the scoreboard of the old gym. There’s something stuck in his throat. “Yeah,” He manages to say. “So much.”

 

Mark wraps an arm around him and Lucas doesn’t care if they’re both gross and sweaty, because he’s crying and his best friend finally knows the truth. “Ah, Cas. I’m really sorry. Really.”

 

Lucas wipes the tears away with the bottom of his shirt. “It’s cool. I should’ve gotten over it already.”

 

“No,” Mark says firmly. “Either you tell him, or I will. You deserve an apology. A real one.” He rubs his back. “And you should’ve told me. I feel like such an ass.”

 

Lucas pushes him away. “Dude, you’re fine. You didn’t know.”

 

“The wedding is less than a week. Sooner rather than later, okay?” Mark says.

 

“Yep,” Lucas agrees. “I know.”

 

*

 

The next morning, Lucas is stood outside of an art gallery, the early morning cold of the summer nipping at his legs. Yangyang said he wanted to buy a painting for Ten, and the only ones he liked were in this specific gallery downtown.

 

“The show was last night, but the artist said I could look at them if I came really early,” Yangyang had explained through clouds of smoke. (Lucas had kept his word.) “You gotta come with me.”

 

Suddenly, Yangyang appears around the corner, both AirPods in. He waves excitedly. “Ready?” He asks.

 

Lucas pushes the door open. “I guess?”

 

Yangyang rushes in and greets the artist. His name is Xiaojun and apparently they already knew each other.

 

“Take your time browsing,” Xiaojun says. “We won’t start uninstalling for another hour. Everything on the back wall is fair game.”

 

“Thanks, dude,” Yangyang says. “We should hang soon.”

 

Xiaojun agrees and soon Yangyang is pulling Lucas to the back wall.

 

“How well do you know Ten?” He asks. He places an AirPod in Lucas’s ear. “I wanna get him something he’ll really like.”

 

“I don’t know anything about art,” Lucas admits. “Also, why did you put this in my ear?”

 

Yangyang rolls his eyes and presses play on his playlist. Coldplay rings out. “You should experience auditory art and visual art together. It like, stimulates you. And I didn’t ask how well you knew art. I asked how well you know _Ten.”_

 

“Huh?”

 

“Here,” Yangyang says and pulls the both of them back a foot. “Which painting reminds you of me?”

 

Lucas hesitates. Most of them are just mixtures of shades on a canvas, or trees bent sideways in wonky colors. “I dunno?”

 

“Lucas,” Yangyang says. “Listen to the music and just think about me. It should be easy. I mean, I’m _right here.”_

 

Lucas tries to focus on the canvases hanging in front of him. He points clumsily at a painting of a tree carved open, red, orange, and purple spilling out. “That one?” Yeah, that one.”

 

Yangyang looks surprised. “Why?”

 

Chris Martin belts out, “ _I think I see you_ . _”_

 

Lucas looks ahead. “You’ve got a lot of colors inside? You start talking and you say a bunch of interesting stuff. And trees are cool, or whatever. You’re like a tree.”

 

Lucas hopes he did a good enough job of leaving out the super embarrassing stuff he was _about_ to say. Like, “It’s a dope painting and I think _you’re_ super dope and also really cute? Date me?”

 

So yeah. He wasn’t about to say that.

 

Yangyang has a weird look in his face. “Thank you? I, uh, don’t know how to respond to that.” He grasps his hand tighter. “Let’s find Ten’s painting now.”

 

Lucas isn’t as interested as he was before, so he just listens to Coldplay in one ear and Yangyang in the other. When the latter’s voice rises as he points out cool details, Lucas thinks it’s a good balance.

 

Lucas is trying to fit the painting they chose into the back of Yangyang’s car when both of their phones chime with a notification.

 

“Ten wants to go out for dinner tonight,” Yangyang reads the message aloud. Lucas stands up straight and cracks his back. The painting was so _heavy_. “Should I tell him you can’t make it?”

 

_“Sooner rather than later.”_

 

Lucas shakes his head. He’ll have to tell him tonight. “No, I’ll be there.”

 

Yangyang frowns. “You sure?”

 

Lucas closes the door to the backseat. “Closure, right?”

 

Yangyang grins and slaps his back. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

 

*

 

“Ten is really giving a show tonight, huh?” Yangyang whispers thirty minutes into dinner.

 

“Yeah,” Lucas whispers back as he fights off a clingy Ten. “Ten, seriously move over. You’re pushing Yangyang out of the booth.”

 

Ten just nudges himself closer and giggles. “Ooh, do you like Yangyang or something?” He turns to the group. “Don’t you think he’s out of Lucas’s league?”

 

Kun laughs softly at the dig while Mark chuckles nervously and picks at his plate. Yangyang glares at Ten.

 

“Dude, knock it off,” Lucas says and finally shoves him away. “Your food is getting cold.”

 

Ten sticks out his tongue. “Oh, boo. You’re so sensitive these days.”

 

Lucas breathes in deeply. He can do this. He just has to make it through the meal, and then tell him, and everything will be fine. That’s all he has to do.

 

“Xuxi doesn’t really date anyway. He’s so picky,” Ten continues. Ten turns to him, wide-eyed. “Why _are_ you so picky?”

 

Yangyang interjects, “Are you drunk?”

 

“Obviously not,” Ten says. “What makes you say that?”

 

Mark points to his mouth. “You’re awfully talkative tonight.”

 

Ten snuggles close to Kun. “I’m with my husband and my best friends. Why wouldn’t I be happy?”

 

“Xuxi,” Ten continues for a _second_ time, “I’m so proud of you. You’re really taking my wedding seriously.”

 

Lucas stirs his drink with his straw. “I’ve always taken it seriously.”

 

Ten leans close. “At first I thought you were acting all weird because of that thing last summer. You’re so mature.”

 

Lucas doesn’t look up from his drink. _That thing._

 

Mark cuts in, “Ten, come to the bathroom with me, for a sec.”

 

“What? Why-”

 

“No,” Lucas forces out. He meets Ten’s eyes. “You owe me an apology for _that thing.”_

 

Kun lifts a finger. “May I ask what the _thing_ is?”

 

“Mind your business, Urkel,” Yangyang says. He pats Lucas’s thigh. “Tell him, Lucas.”

 

Yangyang’s eyes are encouraging, round and bright. Lucas nods his head. He can do this.

 

“Since I was like eleven, I had the biggest crush on you. And then you came back last summer and you kissed me, and _obviously_ I was excited. Then you sent that text and you were laughing when you left and,” He notices the silence of the table and the moisture in his eyes. Jesus. Yangyang pats his hand. “I felt like a big joke and now you’re married? I don’t like you anymore because quite frankly, you treat me like shit, and yeah.” He looks up. “I want an apology. No, I _demand_ an apology.”

 

Mark is smiling across the table. Kun is draining his glass of Sprite. Yangyang looks like he wants to frame the moment. Ten looks like someone kicked him in the face.

 

“Xuxi,” He says shakily. “I didn’t-”

 

“Eh,” Lucas shrugs. “How could you? I’m going home.” He manages to slide out of the booth. “Yangyang, can you cover me? I’ll Venmo you.”

 

He nods. “Yeah. I’ll text you later, okay?”

 

“Xuxi-” Ten starts again, but Lucas is already halfway to the door.

 

*

 

**_ten_ **

_Can you call me?_

 

**_ten_ **

_Ok so that’s a no_

 

**_ten_ **

_Text back???_

 

**_ten_ **

_Can we talk tomorrow, at least?_

 

Lucas swipes past his recent messages from Ten. Way too early in the morning for that headache.

 

**_renjun_ **

_Haha I heard about what happened last night_

_Proud of you!_

 

And then the last one:

 

 **_yang_ ** **_2_ **

_Call me when you wake up!_

_I need your plebeian assistance with organizing my closet_

 

 **_yang_ ** **_2_ **

_But if you’re in a bad mood we can just go to the animal shelter and chill_

 

 **_yang_ ** **_2_ **

_I’ll still need my closet cleaned out tho_

 

Lucas laughs in the quiet of his room.

 

**_lucas_ **

_I’ll help with the closet if I get to keep your new Gucci jacket_

 

*

 

Lucas is sitting on the porch of Yangyang’s house later that afternoon, new Gucci jacket folded neatly in his lap. Yangyang is messing around with a new track, head moving along to the beat. Lucas thinks he seems friendlier when he’s not talking.

 

“What’s this one about?”

 

Yangyang takes his headphones off. “About how precocious I am.” He waves a hand flippantly. “Just child prodigy stuff.”

 

“I think humility would look good on you.”

 

Yangyang raises a brow. “You’re telling the expert in luxury fashion what would look good on him?”

 

Lucas holds the jacket up. “This jacket wouldn’t look good on you.”

 

Yangyang considers this. “You’re right. It looks better on you.” He goes back to the track. “Have you talked to Ten?”

“Nope,” Lucas says, popping the P. “I don’t want to see him until Saturday.”

 

“Fair enough,” Yangyang says. His hand pauses on his trackpad briefly. “You said something last night, you know, while you were ranting.”

 

Lucas laughs. “I said a lot of stuff.”

 

Yangyang’s cheeks turn scarlet. “Yeah. Um, you don’t like Ten anymore?” He rushes out, eyes still buried in his screen.

 

Lucas tilts his head, curious. “Yes? I mean, maybe I still liked him a little bit at the beginning of the summer, but no. I don’t like him.”

 

“Love to hear it,” Yangyang mumbles. “When did you stop liking him?”

 

Lucas leans back on his elbows and studies Yangyang. “Probably when this vape god started singing Madonna to me. It was cute.”

 

Yangyang pauses. Lucas can see his smile from afar. “Oh.” He turns around. “He must be _amazing_ at singing.”

 

Lucas leans forward and closes the laptop. He slides the headphones down. “Not even close. He’s horrible.”

 

Yangyang smiles widely. “Maybe he should sing it again?”

 

Lucas covers his ears just as the crooked notes of _Material Girl_ spring from Yangyang’s mouth. He keeps his eyes open, though. The view is nice.

 

*

 

The door to Ten’s bedroom swings open. “Hey,” Ten greets from the doorway. His hair is done but he’s still wearing his street clothes. “Come in.”

 

Lucas sits on the bed that he, Ten, and Mark used to fit into. Now he’s not sure he can fit into it alone. “You had something to say?”

 

Ten sighs and sits next to him. “I’m sorry, Xuxi.” He grabs his hands tightly. “I am _really,_ really sorry. I took advantage of you. You didn’t deserve that. Not as a person and not as my best friend.”

 

“It’s cool.” It’s kind of Lucas’s default response to things like this.

 

Ten shakes his head. “It’s not. I’m older than you. I should look out for you, not hurt you. I should have thought things through.” He lets go of his hands. “I should have considered your feelings.”

 

Lucas nods. “Thank you for saying that.” He stands. “Get dressed. I think you’re getting married, or something, today?” He tries to joke.

 

Ten smiles. “Yeah, that thing.”

 

Lucas is almost to the door when, “Love you little dude.”

 

Lucas grins. This time he means it. “Love you too.”

 

*

 

Lucas and Yangyang ditch the reception halfway through with the excuse that Lucas had raging, volcanic diarrhea.

 

The pair go to the animal shelter, play with the dogs, and discuss Germany. Lucas is full.

 

(Yangyang holds a dog close to his face. “Ah, look how cute they are!”

 

“Are you gonna try those famous waffles in Germany?” Lucas asks as he cradles a Dachshund in his lap.

 

“Idiot. That’s Belgium.”

 

“Well do they have waffles in Germany?”

 

Yangyang stops to think. “Ah, geez. I’ve gotta look it up. I can’t live without waffles, bro.”)

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> if u read this absolute mess then I love you
> 
> EDIT: I actually won't be posting anymore fics. I plan to be really busy in the upcoming months and it doesn't look like it'll slow down after that!! thank you reading this and any other of my works and please, please keep supporting nct and wayv!!


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